Radiator



arch 16, 1937. M. G. BOERGER 2,073,778

RADIATOR Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 16, 1937UNITED STATES attain PATENT @FFHQE Application September 16, 1936,Serial No. 101,124

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in radiators and refersparticularly to radiators of the type having fabricated sheet metalheaders.

Radiators of this character consist of a core 5 having tubes and hollowheaders communicating with the tubes, the headers being composed ofplates fixed to the tubes, and hollow heads soldered or otherwise joinedto the peripheral edges of the plates.

In fabricating the hollow heads the marginal edges thereof often do notlie in exactly the same plane and as a consequence it has been difficultto obtain a secure junction between these edges and the periphery of theplates. In production l5 methods of manufacture where the soldering ofthe junction is done automatically on machines this objection isparticularly troublesome.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvedmanner of joining the com- 20 ponent parts of fabricated sheet metalheaders which is so designed that during the soldering operation theparts will be held in their proper relative positions even though inwardpressure is applied to the relatively flexible side walls of the 25hollow heads.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved constructionfor the headers for radiators of the character described which is sodesigned that the assembling of the component 30 parts of the header ismaterially facilitated by effecting automatic alignment between theparts.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combi- 35 nation and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be 40 made as come within the scope of theclaims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete example of the physicalembodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode sofar devised for the practical application of the 45 principles thereof,and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a radiator constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the radiator taken 50 on the plane of theline 22 with the lower head removed from its respective plate;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section view illustrating in detail thejunction between the component parts of the header; and

55 Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner inwhich the junction is made.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which likenumerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5designates the core of a radiator which as is customary comprises aplurality of tubes 6 with radiating fins I mounted thereon.

The ends of the tubes 6 open into headers 8 and 8 which are identicalexcept for size. Each header consists of a plate. 9 and a hollow head Ihaving its marginal edges joined to the plate.

The junction between the marginal edges of the head and the plate asbest illustrated in Figure 3 includes a channel II extending about theentire peripheral 'edge of the plate and into which the marginal edgeportions I2 of the head extend.

To form the channel I l the plate 9 is offset inwardly of the core aslight distance to form the inner walls I3 of the channel and thendirected outwardly to provide the bottom I4 and outer walls I of thechannel.

It is objectionable to form too great an offset and as a consequence theinner walls of the channel are not nearly as high as the outer walls I5,and inasmuch as the marginal edges of the head do not always lie in acommon plane it is possible that portions thereof will be displacedinwardly out of the channel, even though the head is properly seateddown onto the plate 9.

This condition is obviously objectionable for in soldering the marginaledges of the head into the channel, sufficient pressure is often appliedto the comparatively flexible side walls I6 of the head to push theminwardly out of the channels. This is particularly so when the solderingof the junction is done on an automatic soldering machine which feedsthe solder I'I against the side walls It above the outwardly flaredupper edge of the channel wall I5 as shown in Figure 4;

In such soldering machines the cores travel along a conveyor and arecarried under presser members I8 indicated in construction lines inFigure 1 which serve to hold the upper head down onto the plate duringthe formation of the junction therebetween. At the same time heatingflames I9 are projected against the side walls of the head and thechannels on the plate 9 and the solder I1 is fed against the side wallsI6 to melt and fiow down into the channels as clearly shown in Figure 4.

To guard against inward displacement of the marginal edge portions I2 ofthe head during this soldering operation, the plate 9 has a plurality ofprojections 20 pressed into the same at spaced intervals along the innerwalls l3 of the channel to increase the efiective height thereof. Whilein the present embodiment these projections 20 5 are formed by pressingthe material of the plate upwardly, the same result may be obtained inmany other ways as by welding or otherwise securing separate members tothe surface of the plate 9 with portions thereof forming in efiect 10continuations of the inner walls I3.

In any event the important consideration is that the height of the innerwalls of the channel is efiectually increased without entailing anadditional offset of the bottom of the channel with 5 respect to theplane of the plate.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a radiator having a hollow header including a plate and a hollowhead joined at its marginal edges to the plate, the junction between theplate and the marginal edges of the head comprising a peripheral channelabout the plate so disposed with respect to the plane of the plate thatthe inner wall of the channel is low while the outer Wall of the channelis high, the marginal edges of the head being disposed in the channel, afusible metal filling the channel and securing the marginal edges of thehead therein, and means on said plate to increase the height of theinner wall of the channel at spaced points and thereby guard againstinward displacement of the marginal edges of the head out of the channelduring the securement thereof regardless of unevenness of said edges.

2. In a radiator having a core including tubes,

-' a header communicated with the tubes and comprising a plate fixed tothe tubes and a hollow head joined to the plate, the junction betweenthe plate and the hollow head comprising an offset channel extendingabout the peripheral edges of the plate and having an outer wall ofsubstantial height and an inner wall of less height so as not to requiretoo great an ofiset, the marginal edges of the head being disposed inthe channel, means on the plate for increasing the effective height ofthe inner wall of the channel to guard against inward displacement ofthe wall of the head during the formation of the junction, and solderfilling the channel around the marginal edges of the head to secure thesame in the channel.

3. In a radiator having a core including tubes, a header communicatedwith the tubes and comprising a plate fixed to the tubes and a hollowhead having a soldered junction at its marginal edges to the plate, saidjunction including an offset channel extending about the periphery ofthe plate to receive the marginal edges of the head, and means on theplate to increase the effective depth of the channel at its inner wallto preclude inward displacement of the marginal edges of the head out ofthe channel during the soldering of the junction.

4. In a radiator having a core including a header communicated with thetubes and comprising a plate fixed to the tubes and a hollow head havinga soldered junction at its marginal edges to the plate, said junctionincluding an ofiset channel extending about the periphery of the plateto receive the marginal edges of the head, and abutments pressed up fromsaid plate to increase the effective height of the inner walls of thechannel and thereby guard against inward displacement of the marginaledge portions of the head during the soldering of the junction.

MARTIN G. BOERGER.

